Day by day tracker: How medicine, money, gold and booze are maintaining our netas busy in 2019 Lok Sabha election

In case you haven’t realised it but, in a single type or the opposite you might be witnessing historical past unfold. By no means earlier than have 900 million (90 crore) folks attained the ability to resolve who will govern them for the following 5 years. The 2019 Lok Sabha election in India is historic not only for its sheer measurement (being the world’s largest democratic election until date), but in addition for its contribution to deepening democracy within the context of increasing common grownup franchise to an unprecedented scale.

However historical past is usually punctuated with contradictions–some extra diametrically reverse than the remaining.

For instance, take the 2019 normal elections in India. Little doubt it is the world’s largest democratic train, however it is usually true that this democratic train is punctured by the flood of each day studies chronicling the usage of cash energy by political events to affect voters.

Within the 2019 Lok Sabha election, to this point authorities have already seized money, medicine, liqour, gold and many others value greater than Rs three,399 crore. The entire seizure to this point on this election is 87.84 per cent of the quantity that the Authorities of India spent in conducting the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

WHY DOES IT MATTER: A FLASHBACK TO 2014

Information of the Election Fee of India present that Rs 2,99,94,30,804 (that is practically Rs 300 crore) in money was seized through the 2014 Lok Sabha election. This was in addition to the 1,61,84,508 litre liquor and 17,070 kg medicine/narcotics (value lots of of crores of rupees) that was seized from completely different elements of the nation.

These numbers would make extra sense if we simplify them in these phrases:

1) The money seized through the 2014 Lok Sabha election was equal to 75 per cent of the donation obtained in money on the Sai Baba temple in Shirdi in 2011.

5 years on, issues have solely worsened. Political events have sharpened their abilities and are as we speak excelling at utilizing money, liquor, medicine, amongst others, to affect voters throughout elections.

The entire seizure to this point on this election is already 80 per cent of the quantity that the government spent in conducting the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

Between March 26 and Might 10, Rs 822.17 crore in money has been seized in India. This quantity is 174.11 per cent greater than the entire money seized in 2014 (Rs 299.943 crore).

(We are going to focus on seizures through the 2019 Lok Sabha election intimately under. We will additionally give newest elephant and swimming pool examples (amongst others) to make sense of those huge numbers.)

Illustration by Siddhant Jumde

(Click on picture for a zoomed model.)

Evaluating the information for 2014 with the information for this yr, we discover that the entire amount of liquor seized this yr has already surpassed the amount seized in 2014 Lok Sabha election. In 2014, authorities seized 1,61,84,508 litre liquor. The determine for 2019 Lok Sabha election to this point is 1,72,00,000 litre.

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For medicine/narcotics, the seized amount (69,193 kg) since March 26 is already 305.34 per cent greater than the entire amount seized in 2014.

This pattern exhibits that by the tip of the Lok Sabha election, this quantity is ready to rise exponentially. (Voting for final section of 2019 Lok Sabha election can be on Might 19 and outcomes can be declared on Might 23.)

WHAT CAN WE DO?

IndiaToday.in has constructed a each day tracker which is able to present you a each day up to date knowledge on seizures made throughout these elections throughout the nation.

The rationale why we’re utilizing knowledge solely from March 26 and onwards is as a result of from that day the Election Fee of India began releasing each day studies on seizures.

These seizures are on account of politicians possessing/distributing/transporting unlawful money, narcotics and medicines, distributing liquor, gold and silver objects and a number of freebies and presents amongst folks to lure them to vote of their favour. These actions are prohibited beneath the Illustration of Peoples Act.

IndiaToday.in’s each day tracker can be up to date day-after-day and can present you the most recent knowledge on violation of election regulation.

On your comfort, we may also breakdown the information and simplify it utilizing interactive digital instruments to provide you state and political party-specific data.

LET’s BREAK DOWN THE NUMBERS:

In line with the Election Fee of India, as on Might 10, 2019, money and items (medicine, liquor, gold, silver and many others) value Rs three,399 crore have been seized throughout the nation. This boils down to almost Rs 74 crore day-after-day.

three) The money seized is greater than twice the money donated at Sai Baba temple in Shirdi in 2011.

One other instance that can assist perceive the scale of this complete quantity is the truth that the entire seizure to this point on this election is 87.84 per cent of the quantity that the Authorities of India spent in conducting the 2014 Lok Sabha election. Authorities expenditure for conducting 2014 Lok Sabha election was Rs three,870.34 crore whereas authorities have already made seizures value Rs three,399 crore within the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

THE NATIONAL PICTURE:

An evaluation of each day seizure studies exhibits that whereas money, medicine, liquor, gold and many others. are being seized day-after-day throughout the nation, there are 5 states that contribute greater than 75 per cent to this.

The information evaluation additionally exhibits that political events in several states behaved in a different way when it comes to utilizing money, liquor, medicine, gold/silver and freebies to affect voters.

In states like Gujarat, Punjab and Delhi, the best contribution comes from the seizure of medicine and narcotics. In Tamil Nadu, political events are relying extra on distributing gold, silver and different valuables to affect voters. And in Andhra Pradesh, money is the principle contributor to the entire quantity seized within the state.

DRUGS: GUJARAT, DELHI & PUNJAB ON TOO HIGH A LADDER

Between March 26 and Might 10, money and items value Rs 551.87 crore have been seized in Gujarat. However practically 96 per cent of this quantity (Rs 524.34) comes from seizure of medicine and narcotics.

Within the nationwide capital, medicine and narcotics make up 88 per cent (Rs 372.6 crore) of the entire quantity (Rs 420.94 crore) seized throughout these elections to this point. A lot of those medicine and narcotics have been seized on April 10, a day earlier than voting for the primary section of Lok Sabha elections.

In the meantime in Punjab, medicine/narcotics value Rs 215.56 crore has been seized to this point.

What additionally must be famous is that although medicine and narcotics contribute probably the most to the seizure quantity in Gujarat, Delhi and Punjab, when it comes to amount (kg seized), these states aren’t the leaders.

Now, distinction this with Gujarat the place the amount of medicine/narcotics seized is 130.73 kg. This mismatch between amount seized and its market value means that the contrabands being circulated/seized in Gujarat, Delhi and Punjab are of a a lot superior high quality than those being provided elsewhere.

ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GOLD IN TAMIL NADU

Whereas politicians in Gujarat, Delhi and Punjab might prefer to affect voters by transcending them to a distinct zone, in Tamil Nadu, it is a completely different ballgame altogether. Right here, politicians imagine in cashing on in folks’s materialistic cravings manifested within the love for gold, silver and different valuable metals.

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This maybe explains the truth that value of gold, silver and different valuables seized make up practically 76 per cent of the entire seizure quantity in Tamil Nadu. Authorities have already seized gold/silver and many others value Rs 709,54,00,000 crore in Tamil Nadu on this election season to this point.

The distant second in seizure of gold/silver is Uttar Pradesh (Rs 71.77 crore).

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